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Anti-Bullying Workshop in Côte Saint-Luc

13 Mar 2012

Côte Saint-Luc, March 13, 2012 – The City of Côte Saint-Luc is hosting an anti-bullying workshop on Tuesday, March 27, 2012 from 6:30 pm to 8 pm at the Aquatic and Community Centre (5794 Parkhaven Ave.).

Don’t Bully Me is an interactive workshop for children ages 6 to 10 animated by George Manoli, a Montreal police officer and personal safety educator with more than 35 years of experience. Manoli is the author of three personal safety manuals: Realistic Self-Defense for Women, Street Smart Kids and Don’t Bully Me. He is also the founder of several scenario-based and simulation-oriented programs that empower his clients by teaching them to stand up for themselves when being bullied and to defend themselves against physical attacks.

During the 90-minute session, children will be playing both the roles of the bully and the bullied. They will learn effective strategies on how to display confidence, establish control and how to use the power of their voices and posture.

“With the number of teenagers that have been committing suicide recently as a result of school bullying, educating children, teens and adults about their role in preventing and standing up to bullying has become a major issue for all communities,” Mayor Anthony Housefather said. “I am very pleased that such an event is being held in Côte Saint-Luc and our city will continue to work with our schools and community partners to try to create a safe environment for our children and teens to thrive in regardless of their race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or ethnic origin. Bullying should not be tolerated anywhere and the tone should come from the top. I want to make a clear statement that discrimination and bullying will not be tolerated in Côte Saint-Luc.”

According to Public Safety Canada, bullying is characterized by acts of intentional harm, repeated over-time, in a relationship where an imbalance of power exists. It includes physical actions (punching, kicking, biting), verbal actions (threats, name calling, insults, racial or sexual comments), and social exclusion (spreading rumours, ignoring, gossiping, excluding). Studies suggest that roughly 6 percent of students aged 12 to 19 report bullying others on a weekly basis, 8 percent report that they are victims of bullying weekly, and 1 percent report that they are both victimized and bully others on a weekly basis.

The cost of the workshop is $40 for Côte Saint-Luc residents or $50 for non-residents. Parents are welcome to attend (at no charge) and observe their children. The deadline to register is Friday, March 23. For more information about the program, contact Ryan Nemeroff at 514-485-6806, ext. 2024 or rnemeroff@cotesaintluc.org.

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For information, contact: Darryl Levine, Director of Public Affairs and Communications, City of Côte Saint-Luc, 514-485-8905, dlevine@cotesaintluc.org.